Hi William, Hamukungu Charles is a popular and permanent resident at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, although obviously he is a bit bigger now! (I wrote this story in 2012).
He’s spent most of his life in the company of humans so it’s easy to interact with him. You can meet him in person if you opt for the behind-the-scenes tour ($70). The Keeper for a Day programme ($150) is highly interactive and can include time spent with Charles, if you request it in advance. When you book, specify that you want to see him. The Chimpanzee Close-up ($260) is another great experience.
Call UWEC on +256 414 320520 or visit UWEC’s website .
NOTE: The above prices are for tourists. There may be different prices for East Africans.

I want to go and see Charles again soon! It’s a few months since my first visit, but apparently he’s small(ish),perfectly formed and as adorable as ever! you would love Uganda. Stay in touch if you ever want any travel ideas or suggestions of where to stay 🙂

Hamukungu Charles is almost as tall as you now Ma, but still very cute 🙂

He’s so darned cute isn’t he?
Many conservationists would argue that Hamukungu Charles shouldn’t remain at the wildlife education centre (zoo). Elephants need an enormous amount of space to roam and there’s not much space for a fully grown elephant in Entebbe! But the fact is, the majority of visitors to the zoo are schoolkids who will never get a chance to see an elephant in the wild. When we were interviewing for a marketing officer at Uganda Conservation Foundation, I was struck by how few Ugandans had visited any of the national parks. For almost every single one of them, going to the zoo was the closest they’d come to their own country’s wildlife – the big mammals at least.
As far as I’m aware, there is no history of training wild elephants in Uganda, like they do in India.